Doni Holloway Named 2018 NABJ Student Journalist of the Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 19, 2018) -- The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is proud to announce Doni Holloway as its 2018 Student Journalist of the Year. The award is presented to a promising college student excelling in the field of journalism.

An aspiring television news anchor, Holloway graduated in May from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism and a concentration in broadcast journalism. He has received fellowships at Bloomberg and NBC and has participated in NABJ’s Student Multimedia Project.

Holloway also has received numerous honors, including winning an MVP/Ace reporter award at UNC, and is a recipient of the Chuck Stone Diversity Award, named after one of NABJ’s founders and the organization’s first president.

The 20-year-old Holloway, a native of Laurinburg, N.C., said he knew early on that he wanted to be a journalist, recalling serving as the editor of his family’s newsletter at age 6. By high school, he was anchoring the latest campus news that aired on a local public access channel. And at UNC, Holloway created “Carolina Now,” where he served as the managing editor, executive producer and anchor of the campus’ first daily social media-driven newscast that aired live on Facebook.

When told he had won NABJ’s top honor for student journalists, Holloway said “I was completely speechless. Totally surprised. I'm deeply grateful, humbled and honored. My gratitude is immeasurable for this recognition and for the investment NABJ has made in my journalism career and professional trajectory.”

The honor shouldn’t come as a surprise, said Dr. Trevy McDonald, an assistant journalism professor at UNC who nominated Holloway for the award. She recalls how Holloway took the initiative and, along with with a videographer, covered President Trump’s inauguration and the Women’s March the following day and aired their coverage on social media.

“He introduced himself to me via Facebook and showed me what he did on his YouTube page before he came to UNC, and when he got here he took his talents to a whole new level,” she said. “Doni's not afraid to approach really anything. He will figure out a way to tell a story.”

Kyra Azore, the NABJ Board’s student representative, said Holloway’s passion for journalism separates him from many of his peers. “I cannot think of anyone else more deserving of this recognition and award,” she said. “I'm sure we will be seeing many great things from Doni in the years to come.”

Holloway, who is spending this summer participating in a post-grad internship at Bloomberg TV in New York, has some advice for his peers:

“I recommend that you to take advantage of every opportunity afforded to you. Seek mentors, and listen to their advice,” he said. “Be curious. Ask questions, and please get well connected in NABJ because the impact that this organization has already made in my life has been immeasurable.”

Holloway will be honored at the 2018 NABJ Convention and Career Fair Aug. 1-5 in Detroit. Please register here.

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About the National Association of Black Journalists: An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.nabj.org.